Leadership - Ways a Manager Could Mitigate the Impact of Transience - Assignment Example

In ‘Future Shock’ Alvin Toffler used the word Transience to describe how the increasing pace of change effects our lives. Describe how this pace of change has affected the employee relationship with the organization and suggest ways you as a manager could mitigate the impact of “Transience”. The fast-paced lifestyles being propagated by globalization and expedited progress have created a huge impact in terms of how people view things and how they relate to others. The blinding speed of change from one practice to another when one has not yet been accustomed to the former and now needs to learn the latter is an enormously stressful thing to go through especially if one’s job and reputation is at stake. Toffler’s (1970) conception of “transcience” was way ahead of its time. Looking forward more than 3 decades ahead, he has painted a frightening picture of how weary the situation will be if one will not be able to adapt to the ongoing acceleration of change. Transcience is the feeling of temporariness and impermanence which is what Toffler predicted would be the adjustment mechanism of contemporary man. In terms of employment, transcience may be seen in how employees cannot stay put in one job as they grab as many opportunities as they could just to get ahead. They may jump from one job to another, eager to try out the latest job openings in the newest companies. Such restlessness evades the development of loyalty to the current employer and even hinders the formation of strong bonds with co-workers. Ideally, young workers seek jobs related to their interests. However, when the need for a job is at hand, they may forsake their interest and take whatever job is available. They find out more about the job in the early days, and get to gauge if they have chosen well or not, a job that they can establish their career on. As employees vacillate from job to job, they try to find what is in it for them… is it challenging enough? Does it tap into their skills? Does it pay better? Hence, managers should make job offers as attractive as possible to recruit the best candidate for the position. Transcience significantly impacts an organization’s performance, as the frequent loss of employees to other companies can paralyze operations. Recruiting and training new staff involves a great deal of time, effort and resources that may drain the organization and hamper its smooth flow. Managers would prefer to work with a steady group of workers that would grow with the company. Providing an orientation to the job at hand is crucial in an employees’ decision to stick with a company for a long time. As in most situations, the first impression usually sets the expectations of people. Managers must prepare well for such an orientation because it is one way to send a clear signal to the employee that the organization is committed to his success. Organizational-level orientation intends for employees to feel welcomed and that they are now part of the organization; learn more about the organizational mission and vision, culture, language, history and structure. Employees come to better understand the basic workplace principles and policies. It prevents unwanted employee turnover is the provision of an effective orientation program to guide new hires through their jobs and the company in general. Even an experienced professional can be vulnerable to feeling abandoned when he is left on his own to survive unaided in a new and strange work environment. Apart from a standard employment contract, employees may also wittingly or unwittingly expect a “psychological contract” with the employer that includes open and honest communication, managerial support and challenging and interesting work. Employees are becoming increasingly aware of the non-monetary rewards that companies can provide them. It is generally important that the job not only fulfills their economical needs, but their socio-emotional needs as well. This means a discussion of compensation and benefits should go beyond the concrete rewards of the job but also emphasize the aspects of the job that the employee will find intrinsically satisfying (Lester, Clair & Kickul, 2001) such as meaningful work, recognition, creative freedom and opportunities for personal growth. One of the initial perceptions of a new worker is the quality of leadership his new group has. If he looks up to the leader or manager directly above him as possessing most of the positive traits he has conceptualized a leader to have, then it gives him enough motivation to keep on. Clark (2008) describes leadership as the process by which a person influences another in accomplishing shared goals for the organization with their “leadership attributes such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge and skills” (para. 3). Having such a leader reassures a young worker that he is in safe hands, and can rest assured that his career is going towards the right path. With regards to relationships with co-workers, harmonious relationships are fuelled by open communication. Apart from the usual socially-motivated conversations with co-workers, dialogues about the business at hand must likewise be rewarding. In the organizational setting, dialogues are used to have a “meeting of minds”, extracting what each member believes and coming up with an agreed decision that takes into account those beliefs, Members think together, analyzing causes and effects, and end up understanding a shared meaning (Isaacs, n.d.). What may help a worker ascertain if this is the career he really wants to be part of is to objectively evaluate his performance in the job and carefully reflect if it truly gives him fulfillment. According to Imel (1992): “Reflective practice has both advantages and disadvantages. It can positively affect professional growth and development by leading to greater self-awareness, to the development of new knowledge about professional practice, and to a broader understanding of the problems that confront practitioners (Osterman 1990). However, it is a time-consuming process and it may involve personal risk because the questioning of practice requires that the worker be open to an examination of beliefs, values, and feelings about which there may be great sensitivity” (para.8). Should he realize that he does not have what it takes to contribute to the pursuit of excellence of the company, and that the job is not making him happy and productive, then, he needs to re-think if he should move out or stay, with the commitment to being one with the company’s vision. Of course, the priority should always be the attainment of the organization’s goals and that includes upholding high quality performance and service. A young worker, set out to carve his own niche in a career of his choosing, faces a lot of challenges and adventures. Several factors may attract him to a certain job such as the benefits and incentives it offers and the nature of the job. Factors that will make him decide to stay in the job include the kind of leader/ mentor he will have, the quality of relationships he will share with his co-workers and the personal and professional growth he will derive from it. Most important is his own personal disposition and character which will make him commit to the job and decide that this is the career he is willing to build for himself. Toffler’s “Transcience” may be threatening to organizations, but if preventive measures are done to keep employees from giving in to it and making them happy and satisfied where they are, then there is nothing to fear. References Clark, D. (2008) Concepts of Leadership in Hutter, A.D. (1982) Poetry in psychoanalysis: Hopkins, Rosetti, Winnicott. International Review of Psycho- Analysis 9, 303-16. http://nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/leadcon.html Imel, S. (1992) Reflective Practice Defined and Described, Retrieved on October 28,2012 from http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-3/adult.htm   Isaacs, W.,(n.d.) Taking flight: Dialogue, collective thinking and organizational learning. Organizational Dynamics Lester, S. Clair, E, Kickul, J. (2001) Psychological Contracts in the 21st Century: What Employees Value Most and How Well Organizations Are Responding to These Expectations. Human Resource Planning. Volume: 24. Issue: 1. Osterman, K. F (1990) "Reflective Practice: A New Agenda for Education." Education And Urban Society 22, no. 2 (February 1990): 133-152. Toffler, A. (1970) Future Shock, New York: Random House 2) Using your knowledge of leadership and critical analysis, critically analyze Nelson Mandela. What makes him a great leader? What are his strengths and where would you say he needs to develop? Nelson Mandela is a prominent name in the area of politics as an influential personality who was not afraid of speaking his mind out or rocking the status quo, if need be. According to Bennisand & Thomas (2002), strong leaders have usually undergone trying circumstances because it is in those situations where meaning and much learning are obtained and thus the development of wisdom and leadership skills are honed. Indeed, Mandela has emerged triumphant over adversity and the things he has learned in his struggles are now bearing fruit for those he leads. He is a transformational leader who was behind some movements to change practices that somehow oppressed others. In the past, leadership was viewed as a position needing intelligence and astuteness in strategic planning and decision-making. An educated person who is trained to lead should be strong and not easily affected by emotions. One measure of a good leader was getting things done no matter what. However, in the advent of “emotional intelligence”, the element of human emotions and its effect on self and other people have been seriously considered as an essential factor in leadership. It has brought about a trend in the corporate world, bringing a new dimension in the way things are run in organizations affecting company philosophy, policy, mission and vision. Mandela has shown that in his leadership, emotional intelligence came in abundance as he often balanced thinking and emotions in dealing with the complicated issues that he was involved with. In an article by Richard Stengel (2008), Mandela shares 8 secrets of successful leadership that leaders in politics and business may emulate. Mandela preaches these tips from his vast experience as a political activist fighting against apartheid. These are as follows: “Courage is not the absence of fear — it's inspiring others to move beyond it” Mandela believes that a good leader naturally feels fear but somehow knows when to put up a front of calmness in the face of turmoil. Often times, people fear change, however, in order to overcome such fear and face change head on, it can be treated as an opportunity instead of a threat (Drucker, 2004). Fear is one factor that prevents people from speaking out their ideas and acting on new knowledge they have acquired. Not being accepted is one strong fear most people hold and it takes brave souls to transform new ideas into action. Inherent reliance on measures that may guide people to success may be a crutch to hold on to, and its absence in new, unexplored territories result in uncertain outcomes. This becomes a justification not to move due to lack of direction and an obstacle for experimentation with new ideas. Hence, although leaders like Mandela may be also be fearful, they need to take control and break out of those barriers that may prevent people to resist change and movement. Their actions alone may inspire the rest to follow suit and go along as well. “Lead from the front — but don't leave your base behind” Having established a solid base of followers, a leader must be dedicated enough to serve them, even if it does not seem obvious. He may seem to have gone a great distance forward, but his followers are always his priority (Stengel, 2008). “Lead from the back — and let others believe they are in front.” People feel empowered to implement a decision that they think they had a hand in. Mandela shares that it is important to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their idea. He listens to his members’ opinions first and speaks last summarizing the points of each member then giving his own evaluation. This way, members get to believe that their opinions matter and contribute to the organizational growth (Stengel, 2008). Participation in decision-making activities or merely being consulted for an opinion or point of view may boost one’s self-esteem enough to be more effective in his task to prove that he or she is indeed capable of contributing important ideas. Know your enemy — and learn about his favorite sport. There is strength in knowing the enemy to glean his own strengths and weaknesses. Over time, there is a good possibility that he may be won over by one’s views (Stengel, 2008). In some cases, people who go against the ideas commonly shared by members of an organization are considered the enemy. Leaders should welcome such resistance knowing there is much to learn from it and consider it as a potential positive force. Leaders know that differences are opportunities for learning. People who disagree may offer ideas one might have missed out on especially if the situation is complex where results of change are unknown. Another reason to appreciate resisters is when it comes to the politics of implementation. Respecting resistance in democratic organizations is important because if it is ignored, it will eventually create wrinkles in the system somehow. “Keep your friends close — and your rivals even closer.” As a charismatic leader, Mandela used his charm to his advantage, even with his rivals. Diplomacy is essential in governance. For Mandela, embracing his rivals is a way of controlling them at least within his circle of influence. Mandela admits that he is too much of an optimist and has the tendency to trust too much but for those he does not trust, he neutralizes with his charm (Stengel, 2008). “Appearances matter — and remember to smile.” On the surface, leaders must know how to carry themselves to look credible and trustworthy. According to George, et al. (2007), the most important capability for leaders to develop is self-awareness. Hence, a true leader knows his strengths and weaknesses. He opts to continuously improve himself in order to serve others better. This includes acquiring more internal knowledge and skills and improvement of external behavior, demeanor and appearance which is the facade that earns him credibility and respect from others. “Nothing is black or white.” Adamant in his fight against apartheid, Mandela detests prejudice of any kind. He is open to all views, but of course, he is discerning of which one to accept. A leader is open-minded to see all possibilities and is not stagnant in merely accepting what works for the present. Change is known as the only constant thing in the world and most people are not comfortable with it. Kotter (2001) contends that leadership is about coping with change. The leader aligns people in times of change and communicates to them the new direction that need to be taken so they can achieve the vision they have set. “Quitting is leading too.” A good leader is humble enough to know when his view or opinion will not hold up and knows when to quit selling his idea when no one else agrees with it. He may try to persuade people, but in the end, he knows he cannot always be right. Goffe & Jones (2000) advise that when leaders reveal their weaknesses, it actually establishes trust and helps members relate to the leader better knowing he is not perfect after all. Revealing weaknesses also invites protection. Goffee & Jones (2000) explain that when one does not show weakness, human nature will dictate that others create weaknesses for that individual. Mandela’s leadership style has been impressive owing to the fact that he liberated South Africa from a system of violence, prejudice and united his divided people as one. Being able to accomplish such herculean task may be too much to ask of someone with his background, however, it is his courage, persistence and firm belief in his principles that egged him on. His influence has been vast and has served as an inspiration to many. As a transformational leader, he may be humble enough to be authentic in admitting his imperfections in order to motivate that they, too, can do great things even if they are not “complete” (Ancona, et al., 2007). Transformational leaders effectively use motivation to convey their high expectations to their followers. This characteristic is positively related to self-confidence, conviction, self-control, ability to handle conflict and tolerance for stress. All these traits have been exhibited by Mandela in his leadership. Although Mandela has not created a specific theory or framework of effective leadership, the leadership secrets he shared sprung from his own practice, and therefore, credible enough to emulate or pass on to others. This proves that he does not preach from an ivory tower but has come down from that tower to experience first-hand what he preached. Even if some of his ideas may fit a political setting or other more specific settings, they are nevertheless worth implementing because of their universal applicability. References Ancona, D., Malone, T.W., Orlikowski, W.J. & Senge, P.M. (2007) In praise of the incomplete leader, Harvard Business Review, February 2007 issue Bennisad, W.G. & Thomas, R.J. (2002) Crucibles of leadership, Harvard Business Review, September 2002 issue Drucker, P.R. (2004) What makes an effective executive, Harvard Business Review, June 2004 issue George, B., Sims, P., McLean, A.N., & Mayer, D. (2007) Discovering your authentic leadership, Harvard Business Review, February 2007 issue Goffee, R. & Jones, G. (2000) Why should anyone be led by you?, Harvard Business Review, September-October, 2000 issue Kotter, J.P. (2001) What leaders really do, Harvard Business Review, December 2001 issue Stengel, R. (2008) Mandela: His 8 lessons of leadership, Time Magazine, July 9, 2008, Retrieved on October 20, 2012 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1821659-1,00.html 3) “The twentieth century will be chiefly remembered by future generations not as an era of political conflicts or technical inventions, but as an age in which human society dared to think of the welfare of the whole human race as a practical objective.” Arnold J. Toynbee (1889-1975) Do you agree/disagree with this statement? Convince me of your point of view. I agree with the quote of Arnold J. Toynbee that the twentieth century will be remembered by future generations as the period when human society elevated the welfare of the human race as a practical objective. The rise of influential political leaders such as Nelson Mandela who has fought for the whole nation of South Africa against oppression and eventually ruled the land with justice and peace is one illuminating example of this. The twentieth century has gone through so much in terms of political turmoil emphasized by two world wars. So much has changed because of the war that it necessitated the appointment of effective leaders. Such leaders prioritized the welfare of their followers and even sacrificed their own interests just so peace and progress are achieved. Goffee and Jones (2000) theorized that the makings of such leaders were not dependent on mere rationality and charisma, as there have been leaders who possessed both such as Hitler, Stalin and Mao Tse-tung but they all committed terrible atrocities against man. The greed for power that leadership brings exploits whatever noble intentions that the individual with leadership potentials initially had. Hence, numerous studies on leadership have been launched and countless theories have been developed. In everything that related to human welfare – provision of basic needs, education, protection from harm, addressing health needs, much planning and action would be needed and in order to implement them, trustworthy and reliable people need to be in charge. These are leaders who prioritize the welfare of others over their own personal agenda. Most of the time, teams are formed in order to meet the goals of uplifting human welfare and team members yearn for a good leader to guide them in achieving their shared goals. According to The Leadership Challenge (2012), people seek several traits in a leader they can follow willingly. They have developed a model for effective leadership called Five Leadership Practices. Their research has yielded evidence that when effective leaders followed these five basic practices, they become successful in achieving the results they want from their followers. The leaders said they challenged, inspired, enabled, modeled and encouraged their followers. Leaders constantly challenge the established process and improve on the areas in the process that need it. They never cease in searching for opportunities which challenge them to change, grow and reach greater heights. Hence, they are willing to take risks and learn from whatever mistakes they fall upon (The Leadership Challenge, 2012). They are not afraid of change and are willing to get out of their comfort zones to choose the best options. Leaders inspire a shared vision with their followers. They communicate their vision well enough for their followers to understand clearly, and together, they see an uplifting and ennobling future. Leaders enlist more people to share such a vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams (The Leadership Challenge, 2012). Leaders are also enablers. They are good at encouraging people to act on their own by providing them with the tools and methods to solve their problems. Leaders foster collaboration and among their members (The Leadership Challenge, 2012). When the followers are trusted to fulfill tasks delegated to them, they feel confident and capable to do more for the team. Leaders have to be good models, most especially when the going gets tough. They should exhibit an attitude and behavior of positivism that their followers can emulate. Leaders set examples consistent with their own values. They are not afraid to stand for their beliefs. To encourage their followers, they create opportunities for their followers to experience small wins with the hopes of eventually gaining bigger ones (The Leadership Challenge, 2012). Lastly, leaders should encourage their followers’ hearts by recognizing individual contributions and celebrating team accomplishments (The Leadership Challenge,2012). Such positive response further motivates others to work even harder. In advancing to better circumstances than where a person currently is, change is inevitable. It is managing such change that may be challenging for most people and again, a transformational leader should oversee it. Michael Fullan (2004) identified five components of leadership necessary to be successful in instituting reformation in institutions. He advocates that a good leader should have moral purpose, an understanding of change, knows how to build relationships with others, creates and shares knowledge, and knows how to survive and find clarity in chaos. Fullan (2004) defines moral purpose as the intention of making a positive difference in the lives of employees, customers or clients and society. It is an integral element in the sustainability of organizations. Many companies which have survived the test of time have a strong sense of purpose and get to adapt to changes without compromising their core ideals. Moral purpose keeps an organization a-blaze with passion and purpose as workers become motivated when the purpose of their work reaps fruits for them. An effective leader does not automatically nor necessarily have ownership of the implementation of the change process. Any member of the organization must have the right to voice out his or her ideas for change. It is also surprising that Fullan claims that change cannot be “managed” or controlled but it can only be understood and perhaps led. Hence, the necessity of an able and strong leader. It can never be said enough that good leaders should have excellent people skills. They must be expert relationship builders especially with those who are very different from them. Trust and confidence are won with effective communication prevalent in the organization. This is shown in three critical areas. One is in the area of helping members understand the organization’s overall strategies. Another is in helping members understand how they can contribute in meeting the organizational goals and objectives. The last area where effective communication must take place is in sharing information with members how their group is performing in relation to the organizational objectives. Leaders become conduits of knowledge, as they generate and increase it inside and outside the organization. People do not voluntarily share knowledge unless they are obliged to, have a moral commitment to do so or the dynamics of change favor exchange. Also, turning information to knowledge entails establishment of good relationships since it is a very social process. What is ideal is the fusion of positive capabilities with negative capability in an effective leader. This is likened to visual illusions showing two images simultaneously, one in the positive and the other in the negative. The eye needs to focus on one image at a time to decipher what it is. Once the eye figures both images out, there is a tendency to keep shifting from one image to another. Similarly, a good leader is like that. In the image, it seems as if he has each foot on an image of positive and negative – of “knowing” and “not knowing”. “The capacity to work at the edge, in the intermediate space, enables a leader to move back and forth between a state of knowing and one of not-knowing, to continue to think in the ‘limbo’ state between certainty and uncertainty, or to seek out and cross the edge into the unknown in order to return with new insight.” (French, Simpson & Harvey, 2001). Fullan agrees that it is important to be at that edge because that is where creativity resides. However, anarchy lurks there too. It takes effective leaders to be able to tolerate ambiguity to keep the creative juices flowing. Of course they have to be vigilant in seeking coherence in the chaos. Hence, the twentieth century, with all its accompanying problems and breakthroughs, may be adjudged as the age when the betterment of lives of people has been set by society as its priority. To be able to do so, the selection of effective and efficient leaders needs to be carefully considered. References French, R., Simpson, P. & Harvey, C. (2001), ‘Negative capability’: the key to creative leadership. Presented at the International Society for the Psychoanalytic Study of Organizations 2001 Symposium. Retrieved on October 21, 2012 from www.sba.oakland.edu/ispso/html/2001Symposium/french.htm Fullan, M. (2004). Chapter 1: A Remarkable Convergence, Leading in a Culture of Change Personal Action Guide and Workbook. Jossey-Bass Goffee, R. & Jones, G. (2000) Why should anyone be led by you?, Harvard Business Review, September-October, 2000 issue The Leadership Challenge (2012) The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership Model, Retrieved on October 21, 2012 from http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/About- section-Our-Approach.aspx Read More